General waste
What you can't reuse or recycle, goes in the general waste collection.
Collection details
We collect general rubbish every two weeks. All non-recyclable waste goes into either your:
- black wheelie bin
- purple sacks (for households where wheelie bins aren't suitable)
- large black or green wheelie bin for flats and schools
We collect
- nappies, securely tied in a bag
- cat litter, securely tied in a bag
- plastic wrapping, film and carrier bags
- polystyrene packaging
- food pouches
- crisp packets
- broken crockery and glassware
- waxed or laminated paper/card
- Pyrex and glassware (securely tied in a bag)
- toothpaste tubes
- shredded paper (can be added to your home compost)
- plastic bags can be recycled at most major supermarkets

We can’t collect
- garden waste contained in your black bin or purple sacks: please use your green bin for your garden waste
- any additional waste presented alongside or on top of your black bin
- bins that are too heavy, as a guideline, the bin should be easily moved with one hand
Top tips
Purple sacks
Where wheelie bins aren't suitable, we'll send you two rolls every March, enough to last the year.
We’ll collect up to four purple sacks every fortnight (equivalent volume of a black bin). We’ll send you purple sacks every year.
Bins for flats
Please keep the bin stores and areas clean and accessible at all times. We won’t collect waste dumped on the floor of your bin store.
Collection services for schools
Schools should contact the waste and recycling team for more details on our chargeable refuse collection service. We will carry out a review of the recycling service available to schools in the autumn.
Contact information